Name:______________________________________
Civics 1st Semester Exam
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Use your Progress Monitoring Worksheets, reading pages, vocab flash cards and the
following chapters in the textbook to complete this study guide. Refer to past tests and
progress checks for additional review.
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To access the online textbook, select the textbook from the teacher webpage and enter
your student id ____________ and password ____________________ make sure you
select Clay County Schools.
You will need a deep understanding of each of these benchmarks.
Benchmarks - the following benchmarks will be tested on the semester exam.
SS.7.C.1.1 Recognize how Enlightenment ideas including Montesquieu's view of separation of power
and John Locke's theories related to natural law and how Locke's social contract influenced the
Founding Fathers.
SS.7.C.1.2 Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact, and
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" had on colonists' views of government.
SS.7.C.3.1 Compare different forms of government (direct democracy, representative democracy,
socialism, communism, monarchy, oligarchy, autocracy).
SS.7.C.3.2 Compare parliamentary, federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government.
SS.7.C.1.3 Describe how English policies and responses to colonial concerns led to the writing of the
Declaration of Independence.
SS.7.C.1.4 Analyze the ideas (natural rights, role of the government) and complaints set forth in the
Declaration of Independence.
SS.7.C.1.5 Identify how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the
Constitution.
SS.7.C.1.6 Interpret the intentions of the Preamble of the Constitution.
SS.7.C.1.7 Describe how the Constitution limits the powers of government through separation of
powers and checks and balances.
SS.7.C.1.8 Explain the viewpoints of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists regarding the
ratification of the Constitution and inclusion of a bill of rights.
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SS.7.C.2.4 Evaluate rights contained in the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the Constitution
SS.7.C.2.5 Distinguish how the Constitution safeguards and limits individual rights.
SS.7.C.3.3 Illustrate the structure and function (three branches of government established in
Articles I, II, and III with corresponding powers) of government in the United States as
established in the Constitution.
SS.7.C.3.5 Explain the Constitutional amendment process.
SS.7.C.3.6 Evaluate Constitutional rights and their impact on individuals and society.
SS.7.C.3.7 Analyze the impact of the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments on
participation of minority groups in the American political process.
SS.7.C.3.8 Analyze the structure, functions, and processes of the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches. (not the judicial branch)
SS.7.C.3.9 Illustrate the law making process at the local, state, and federal levels. (just the federal
level)
SS.7.C.3.12 Tinker v. Des Moines, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, US v. Nixon,
Know the following terms:
Anarchy - the absence of any form of government
Anti-Federalist Papers - A series of essays written to counter and defeat the proposed
U.S. Constitution
Anti-Federalist - A group of people in the early US who opposed ratification of the U.S.
Constitution because they feared a strong national government and a lack of protection
for individual rights
Articles of Confederation - the first Constitution of the United States. Did not work
because it was so weak.
Bill of Rights – first ten amendments of the constitution
Checks and Balances - a system in which each branch of government is able to check, or
restrain, the power of the others
Citizen - A legal member of a country who is loyal to that country and in turn receives
protection from that country
Concurrent power - powers shared by the state and federal governments
Confederation - a group of individual or state governments
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Consent of the governed - An agreement made by the people to establish a government
and abide by its laws
Constitutional Monarchy - A system of government in which the king or queen shares
authority with an elected legislature and agrees to be bound by a constitution or a set of
laws
Democracy - A system of government in which political power resides with the people
Due Process - Following established legal procedures
Eminent domain - the right of government to take private property for public use
Enumerated power - powers granted directly to the national government by the
Constitution; another name for expressed powers
Executive order – command by the president that has the same force as a law
Executive privilege – Principle that members of the executive branch cannot legally be
forced to reveal their confidential communications if the disclosure would have a negative
effect on the security of the public
Expressed Powers - power that the U.S. Congress has that is specifically listed in the
Constitution
Federalist Papers - A series of essays written to explain and defend the proposed U.S.
Constitution
Federalists - A group of people in the early United States who favored the establishment
of a strong national government and who worked for ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Implied power – not specifically listed in the constitution
Natural rights - The belief that individuals are born with basic rights that cannot be
taken away by governments
Pardon - a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
Ratify - to formally approve
Representative democracy (Republic) - A system of government in which the people elect
representatives to make policies and laws for them.
Reserved power - powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government
that are kept by the states
Rule of law - A concept that those who govern are bound by the laws; no one is above the
law
Slander - spoken untruths that are harmful to someone's reputation
Social contract - An implied agreement among the people of an organized society that
defines the rights, duties, and limitations of the governed and the government
Supremacy clause - the clause in Article VI of the Constitution that makes federal laws
prevail over state laws when there is a conflict
Symbolic speech – expressing ideas, thoughts or words by actions or objects
Unalienable (inalienable) rights - Basic rights of the people that may not be taken away
Unitary - A system of government in which power resides with the central government
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Types of Government (Chapter 3 Lesson 4 in Textbook)
1.
Which form of government do we have in the U.S.? representative democracy
2. Who holds the power in our form of government? “We the People”
3. Which principle is this? “consent of the governed"
4. What does it mean to be authoritarian? One person or a small group hold all the power
Totalitarian? Government controls people’s lives
5. What does it mean to be democratic? A government in which the people govern themselves,
fair elections
6. Which form of government has an inherited ruler? absolute monarchy and constitutional
monarcy
7. Define confederal system. Define unitary system. Confederal – consists of member states
that have joined together voluntarily. Unitary – central government is supreme
Foundations of American Government (Chapter 4 in textbook)
1. What ideas came from the Magna Carta? Limited government
2. What ideas came from the English Bill of Rights? gave certain rights to citizens
3. What ideas from John Locke are evident in the Declaration of Independence? In the
Declaration of Natural Rights section: natural rights, God given rights, men are created
equal, life, liberty and happiness
4. What ideas from Montesquieu are evident in the U.S. Constitution? Three branches of
government, checks and balances
5. What ideas came from the Mayflower Compact? Self-government
6. What events led American colonists to declare independence from Great Britain? Taxation
without representation, Quartering Act, Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts), Boston Tea Party
7. What ideas came from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense? Resist abuse of power
8. What was the document in which colonists declared they were free from British control?
Declaration of independence
U.S. Government (then and now) and the U.S. Constitution Chapter 5
1.
What was America’s first Constitution called? Articles of Confederation
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2. Why did our first Constitution not work? No taxes, no military, no central government, no
regulation of trade, no judicial branch, no executive branch, decisions had to be unanimous
with all 13 colonies
3. Who were the Federalists? Wanted a strong central government – stronger than the states
Anti-Federalists? Didn’t want central government to be stronger than the states What was
the difference in thinking between the two groups? Anti-Federalists didn’t want the
Constitution because the states had to give up some powers and there was no Bill of Rights.
Both sides wrote essays called the “Federalist Papers”
4. What are the purposes of government? Know the Preamble School House Rock song! Form
more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare, secure the blessing of liberty
5. The first 3 articles of the Constitution describe the three branches of government and
their powers. What are the three branches of government? What does each do? Who is in
each? Lazy Elephants Jump! Executive branch – President – enforces laws. Legislative
branch – Congress – makes laws. Judicial branch – Supreme Court – interprets the law.
6. Can the Constitution be changed? If so, is the process easy? What are the steps? 2 step
process: propose and ratify. 2 ways to change the Constitution:
By Congress:
Proposed by a 2/3 vote of both houses
¾ of a special constitutional conventions called by the 50 states
OR
By states:
A constitutional convention is called Congress because 2/3 of the states petitioned to
address a new admendment.
¾ of the state legislatures vote for it.
7. Who has the final authority for interpreting the Constitution? The Supreme Court
8. We have three branches of government. Which principle says that the government power
should be separated? Separation of powers Who gave the Framers this idea? Montesquieu
9. Explain Federalism - power is shared by the national government and the states
10. Explain the three types of powers the constitution divided the powers of the government
into within - a Federal system National powers – Enumerated or expressed powers, State
powers – Reserved powers , Shared powers – Concurrent powers Where are these defined?
All found in Article IV of Constitution
11. Does Congress have any additional powers not listed in the Constitution? Congress can make
laws if they deem it “necessary and proper”. This is due to the elastic clause.
12. What is the Supremacy Clause? What does it say? Constitution is supreme law of the land.
States can do nothing that goes against the Constitution of federal law.
Bill of Rights and other Amendments Chapter 6
The Bill of Rights - Key Points from the Amendment:
1st Amendment (Hint: RAPPS)
Religion, assemble, petition, press, speech
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2nd Amendment
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Right to bear arms
3rd Amendment
No quartering of soldiers
4th Amendment
Search and seizure – must have warrant
5th Amendment
Due process, trial by jury, double jeopardy, eminent domain
6th Amendment
Fair and speedy trial, right to a lawyer, right to bring witnesses
7th Amendment
Guaranteed jury trial
8th Amendment
No cruel or unusual punishment
9th Amendment
in the constitution
10th Amendment
Your rights cannot be taken away just because it isn’t mentioned
Reserved powers to the states
Legislative Branch chapter 7
1.
Describe how representation is chosen in the House and Senate. Through elections. 2
senators from each state. House is based on population.
2. What article in the US Constitution gives Congress its powers? Article I (Lazy Elephants
Jump)
3. List the checks (as in checks and balances) the legislative branch can make on the other two
branches. Impeach officials, reject appointments of judges, can refuse to approve treaties
4. Describe the process of how a bill becomes a law.
The three main sources of ideas for laws are the President, special-interest groups or citizens.
1. It can be introduced in the House or Senate. (For our example, we are starting in
the House.)
2. Only a member of Congress can introduce a law. Then it is sent to committee to
decide if it should be sent to the House or Senate floor for debate.
3. Then it is voted on. They vote with yes, no or present.
4. If yes, then it gets sent to the Senate and goes through the same process.
5. If both chambers of Congress approve, the bill goes to the President.
6. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If the President ignores the bill for 10
days while Congress is in session, it becomes law.
7. If the President veto’s the bill (says no) then it does not become a law. If the
President ignores the bill for 10 days while Congress is not in session, it dies.
5. What is the function of Congress in the lawmaking process? Make the laws
6. What is the function of the President in the lawmaking process? Enforce the laws
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7. How does the Legislative Branch check the powers of the Executive Branch in the lawmaking
process? Congress can override the President’s veto if 2/3 of Congress votes to do so.
Executive Branch Chapter 8
1.
Which Article says that “Executive Power shall be invested in a President.” Article II
2. The president’s main job is to execute or carry out the laws passed by Congress.
3. The principle that no one is above the law and everyone must follow the law is Rule of Law
4. The 15 departments that form the group of presidential advisers is known as? cabinet
5. What are the qualifications to become president? The U.S. Constitution lists only three
rules for being president. A president must be at least 35 years old. He or she must be a
native-born American citizen. He or she must have lived in the United States for at least 14
years
6. Name each of the President’s 7 roles and his duties for each.
a.
Chief Executive - carry out the laws, appoint justices to the Supreme Court, grant
pardons
b. Chief Diplomat - Leads foreign policy and appoint ambassadors
c.
Head of State - symbol of the nation. Greeting leaders from other countries when
they visit the United States. Awards medals at ceremony's.
d. Commander in Chief - Leader of the armed forces. Back up foreign policy decisions
with force if necessary and send troops into battle.
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
1.
Tinker v Des Moines. Why was this case a landmark case? What right was extended?
Expanded freedom of speech to include symbolic speech
2. Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier. Why was this case a landmark case? What right was limited?
Limited freedom of the press in schools
3. United States v Nixon. Why was this case a landmark case? What was highlighted in this
case? Limited Executive Privilege and that No one is above the law, not even the president
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